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STAMHUIS, Arend Jan “John”

July 27, 1928 – January 16, 2017

 

Arend’s journey through life ended on January 16, 2017.  To those closest to him, he was Jan. To many of his old friends and acquaintances, he was John.  To the rest of the world, he was Arend. No matter which name he answered to, he enjoyed a wonderful life.  He was born in Utrecht, the Netherlands, to Lambertus and Trijntje Stamhuis.  As a boy, his twin passions were music and the sea.  On completion of high school, he took training in seamanship and soon rose to the rank of First Mate in the Dutch Merchant Marine.  He met his future wife Conny in 1948 and they married in 1952.  They immediately immigrated to Canada to join the rest of his family, and settled in Vancouver.  Arend obtained his Bachelor of Education degree at UBC, and later his Master of Arts in French language at SFU.  While studying at UBC, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve and rose to the rank of Lieutenant, serving with the Navy Reserve for 10 years. He enjoyed a successful and rewarding 25-year high school teaching career in Coquitlam and later in North Vancouver. During that time, he continued to indulge his passion for sailing, and even lived on the schooner “Lorna D” with his family for 4 of those years.  At the age of 55, Arend retired from teaching to an acreage in Aldergrove where he enjoyed making wine and working on his hobby farm. There, he resumed playing the violin that his father had made for him in his youth. He and Conny moved to the Okanagan in 1992 where he joined the Old Time Fiddlers and served a term as their president.  Arend will be missed by his wife of 64 years, Conny, and his two children, Michael (Trish) and Jonie McGill (Ken). He was Opa to John (Josée), Beau (Amanda), Kyle, and Arend (Lauren), and great Opa to Arjen. He is also survived by numerous family members in BC, Alberta and the Netherlands.  He and his family are especially thankful for the wonderful care he received at the Sunnyside Suites of the Lakeview Lodge Care Facility. A celebration of his life will be announced in the near future.  Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.springfieldfuneralhome.com, 250-860-7077.



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